Opening of season for select trout pounds begins Saturday

Saturday is the opening of the season for select trout ponds, but the weather has not made it very easy to stock.

And in the North Country, where the ice still covers some of the nicest little trout ponds, there has not yet been stocking.

Fish culturists at New Hampshire's six state trout hatcheries have been holding on, waiting for Mother Nature to provide conditions more favorable to spring stocking. After a brief delay, stocking trucks were rolling the last few days.

New Hampshire hatcheries have nearly 1 million catchable-sized trout ready for this season.

“Spring conditions have been slow to arrive this year," said New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Inland Fisheries Chief Jason Smith.

Ponds being locked in with ice and high cold-water conditions have made it necessary to delay stocking in every region of the state.

Many of the ponds are accessed by dirt roads, so even in places where the ice has receded enough to receive fish, many of these dirt roads are still extremely muddy and do not provide access for heavy commercial vehicles used for stocking trout.

Smith explained that with cold, high waters from melting snow, it will be a few weeks before rivers and streams are at fishable levels.

Most trout species are reluctant to bite until the streams reach temperatures in the mid-40s.

"We don't want to stock streams too early, because cold, high water early in the season does not present suitable conditions for trout angling. Also, stocking access is limited until waters recede. Attempting to carry nets and buckets of trout over steep embankments that are still covered with several feet of snow is a risky proposition for both the stocking crews and the fish," said Smith.

The state can count on reports from local conservation officers who are already in the field and who monitor conditions.

The department said it is unrealistic to have all designated trout ponds stocked this year in time for opening day, particularly in the North Country.

As the season progresses, fishing on smaller streams will pick up from south to north with the larger rivers to follow.

A good rule of thumb is to follow the black flies as they move north. Usually they arrive in Manchester around the first weekend in May.

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